Tricks and Treachery -
by Mandy of the Amoeba
Summary: Cats fanfic. It doesn't make much sense in the beginning, but gets better towards the end. That's about all I can say....that, and Jellicles die.... :)
1. Chapter 1

A/N: The first part of this fic is copyright my dear friend, Electra aka Stephanie aka Gumbi aka....a lot of other nicknames. Please R/R....if I get okay reviews, I'll post the next part soon! .....actually, I'll probably post the next part soon anyway....but good reviews would certainly help. :) Oh yeah...I don't own Cats, RUG and ALW do. *rants* But why should THEY care, they took it off broadway...sorry. I'll shut up now.  
  
  
  
The yellow Jellicle moon shone brightly, thoroughly illuminating the quiet Junkyard. Jennyanydots sat knitting a soft blue sweater, quietly humming a lullaby.  
  
"It's a rare moment that you're not next to my dear brother when he's home from the station." Jellylorum remarked as she slid into place beside the Gumbie.   
  
Jennyanydots smiled as she patted the lid of the trunk with a soft thump. "He was so tired, the poor dear....after such a long time on that train - I told him to go on to bed."   
  
Jellylorum nodded in understanding and began her own knitting.   
  
"G'night, ladies." Tugger said, strutting past like the cocky rooster that he was.   
  
"Good night Tug-" Jenny's reply was cut short but a blood-curdling scream that rang throughout the Junkyard.   
  
Electra scampered out of the tire, followed by Etcetera, Victoria, Plato, and Mistoffelees. "Wha-?"   
  
A loud scrambling issued from the trunk, following by a 'clunk!'. Skimble emerged, tenderly rubbing his head.   
  
The kittens stooped down and quickly began shoveling tracings of small, green leaves back into the tire that had scattered on the ground when it was vacated. Jennyanydots caught a glimpse of Electra as she tossed the last of the leaves over her shoulder back into the tire; a vaguely familiar scent tickled the Gumbie's nose.   
  
"Catnip!" she exclaimed. "Electra, what I have I told you? How - where did you find - "  
  
The shrill scream filled the night air once more.   
  
"Wha' was tha'?" Skimble mumbled groggily. "Sounds like som'on's bein' murdered."  
  
Jenny gave Jelly a sidelong glance, worry furrowing her brow.   
  
Skimbleshanks yawned again, then gestured towards the direction the screams had come from. "C'mon, boys, let's go check it out."   
  
"Can't I come, Papa?" Electra begged. Jennyanydots answered for her mate,   
  
"You most certainly may not!" She paused, then turned to Skimbleshanks. "But....perhaps it _would_ be better if we all came along. There's safety in numbers."   
  
Everyone agreed, and so the nine cats set off into the night. They had barely gotten to the edge of the Junkyard when SKimbleshanks, who was in the front, stopped short. Jenny frowned worriedly and peered out from behind him. With a choked gasp, she tried to turn Jellylorum away, but it was too late; the calico letout a sharp scream, followed by the wails of her two daughters.   
  
The bloody form that lay under the fallen junk was mangled and grotesquely twisted, but the fur pattern was still recognizable as that of Jellylorum's mate, Asparagus, Jr.   
  
The small group stood in shock, listening to the screams and wails of the dead tom's family as Jennyanydots tried numbly to comfort them. This would be the first of a series of deaths among the Jellicles, each more horrendous and gruesome than the last. Was the tom's death merely the unfortunate accident it appeared to be? Or was it something more carefully plotted?   
  



	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Well, here's Part 2. Thanks to my friends for proofreading for me, and my two darling soulsisters for....being there. This part turned out a lot shorter than I had orignally planned, but I don't really want to change anything about it now.  
  
  
Weeks had passed since the death of Asparagus, and life in the Junkyard was beginning to return to normal. Jellylorum and her kittens were still grieving, but they had allowed themselves a smile or two lately. The cause of death was, by all appearances, being crushed by a freak falling junkpile. Most chose to believe this explanation, even some of those who had heard both sets of screams. However, not everyone was convinced.   
  
Mistoffelees was at the site of Asparagus' death, searching in vain for clues. He had tried this before, and never found anything, even with his magic. But he was firmly convinced that there was a murderer loose in the Junkyard.   
  
The young tuxedo tom had taken the elder's death very much to heart. After all, Asparagus was Victoria's father; Viccy and Misto had been best friends since long before either of them could clearly remember. If only he had a clue.....anything at all to lead him to a suspect....  
  
Something on the ground caught his eye. Leaning closer, he saw it was a rhinestone from a collar. There was blood spattered around it. Now who had he seen missing a rhinestone....   
  
Misto's eyes widened, and he opned his mouth to yell...   
  
He was found with his neck snapped in half by a metal bar, which lay on the ground nearby, free of pawprints. The rhinestone was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Part Three! Please, R/R! And I don't own any of these characters, yadda yadda yadda...  
  
Mistoffelees' death threw the Junkyuard into a state of near panic. When Asparagus' body had been found, they were able to dismiss it as a freak accident....but even for the bar that killed Mistoffelees to have fallen accidently on his head, it would never have hit with enough force to snap his neck.  
  
The younger cats were especially affected. It was one thing to lose a quiet, fatherly tomcat; it was quite another matter entirely to lose someone their own age. Misto had seemed almost invincible to them because of his magic, and the fact that his life had been snuffed out so easily terrified them.  
  
Victoria sunk into a state of deep depression. The young white queen had lost her father and her best friend inside a month, and her grief had risen almost to a level of insanity. This deeply concerned her mother, who feared she would do something rash.  
  
"Viccy? You all right, honey?" Jellylorum called, trying to keep her voice cheerful as she stood outside the dresser drawer that was the kitten's "room."  
  
There was a long silence, then a quiet "Yes, mother."  
  
Jelly sighed heavily and turned away, heading towards the car trunk to find Jennyanydots. she didn't notice a dark figure slip behind the dresser, nor did she hear the muffled scream mere moments later.  
  
It was Etcetera who later found her older sister's body, lying in a puddle of blood pooled from the snowy white wrists.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I don't really like this part.....seems to be like the fic keeps getting more and more drawn out. But I like drawing out things......*g* Please, R/R! Oh, and I don't own Cats, yadda yadda yadda.....  
  
  
The Jellicles buried Victoria on a late June afternoon, amid many tears. By all appearances, the young queen had committed suicide, but with all the other deaths......no one was sure about anything anymore.  
  
Only four cats knew the truth. The first three were already disposed of. The fourth certainly wasn't about to let anyone else in on the secret.....anyone who would remain alive very long, that is.  
  
As Victoria's funeral ceremony began to disperse, soft murmurings were heard among the crowd. Questions and rumors were rapidly taking hold of everyone's imagination, and no one truly believed the deaths had been merely an accident. Many eyes were shining with tears.....but a single pair of Jellicle eyes gleamed with sadistic delight at the terror catching fire.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
After that, the Junkyard was thrown into a state of eerie silence. It was almost as if everyone were too afraid to even cry anymore. Not even the younger cats felt like playing; they passed the time talking quietly about matters too serious for their age. The recent events had thrown them into adulthood far too soon.  
  
Everyone couldn't help but speculate about who would be next. Some said it would be Jellylorum; after all, her mate and daughter were already dead. Some said it would be Plato, Victoria's young lover. Some even thought it would be her sister, Etcetera.  
  
"It's pure madness! Drastic measures need to be taking!" Munkustrap exclaimed, pacing about the Junkyard proper. Several cats nodded in agreement; some of them shot a pitying look towards Jellylorum, who had barely spoken a word since the combined deaths of her mate and daughter had taken hold on her spirit. She attended meetings, but most doubted she really knew what was being said.  
  
"Calm down, Munkustrap. Haste will earn us nothing. Think of this rationally, dear - we have no suspects, no evidence against anyone. What can be done?" Jennyanydots spoke up quietly, sitting beside her blankly staring best friend.  
  
"Rationally? You think all these murders are rational!?" the grey-striped tom raged, still pacing furiously.  
  
"Munk, I think Jenny has something. Surely there's got to be a pattern to...to the deaths..." Bombalurina spoke up, casting a hesitant glance towards Jellylorum, who remained motionless. "I mean, they are all connected in some way...."  
  
A soft, lifeless voice turned every head towards it's speaker. "It's my turn." Jellylorum said, her eyes still staring straight ahead.  
  
"Jelly, no!" Jenny cried out, putting an arm around the calico's shoulders. "Don't talk like that...." As she spoke, the Gumbie mentally noted to keep someone near Jelly at all times. Deep down inside, everyone couldn't help but resign themselves to the fact that Jellylorum would probably be next.  
  
They were all proved wrong when, to their horror, Exotica was found hanging from a nearby tree ten days after Victoria's funeral. Her tail had been cut off and combined with rope, wrapped around her neck as a hangman's noose. One of the cats who helped carry the body back to the Junkyard smiled inwardly. A murderer's mind isn't a thing to be analyzed.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Wow! Someone actually wants me to write the next part to this series! *pleased grin* It's been written for a while, I just never posted it because I didn't' think anyone was reading it....anyway, here 'tis.  
  
  
The true panic began when Exotica's body was found. Before, the deaths had stayed connected within the same relative group of cats, and there were possible motives for each murder. But Exotica was a loner; she kept to herself, joining Admetus or Cassandra on occasion. She was viewed as shy and unobtrusive, not a murder victim. It was amazing how the death of one so quiet could cause such a stir.  
  
A meeting was held the day of her burial, with every Jellicle in attendance. Old Deuteronomy regarded his tribe, his children. One of them could be a murderer, and there was no way of knowing who. He spoke gravely.  
  
"Jellicles, you all know why we're here. All of us." he added, glancing to where Macavity stood on the outskirts of the group. "Whether the recent deaths are the work of an outside evil or other sources is not easy to determine. However, some precautionary measures need to be taken. Let no cat ever be left alone, but stay in pairs or groups at all times."  
  
A murmur of agreement spread through the crowd, save for one cat. _"Damn. This makes things more difficult."_ the Jellicle thought, all the while nodding in consent with the others.   
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Nearly three weeks passed, and the Yard had been free of incidents. Some of the Jellicles had begun to relax somewhat, becoming more at ease with one another. That, however, was soon to change.   
  
An ear-piercing shriek rang through the Junkyard on a moonless midnight. The shriek was soon followed by another, a bone-chilling, hysterical sound, as two female voices screamed and sobbed together.  
  
Jemima, the youngest and sweetest kitten, lay in the sleeping place she shared with her sister. Blood pooled around her head, staining the white patches in her fur crimson. Her throat had been slit.   
  
Jennyanydots knelt down beside her murdered daughter, screaming and rocking back and forth as her mate wrapped his arms around her, tears streaming down his own face. Electra stood in shock, her eyes transfixed to her sister's bloody body as she let out choked, gasping sobs.   
  
Other cats had begun to arrive at the scene, and many more screams were issued. Someone asked "Who was supposed to be with her?"  
  
All eyes traveled to Electra.  
  
"What happened?" Munkustrap demanded. The tortoiseshell kitten looked slowly from the tom back to her sister. Her reply was numb.  
  
"I...I woke up...and...."  
  
The gray tabby gave her a cold look. "Until we have proof you are innocent, I hereby charge you with the murder of your younger sister, Jemima."  
  
"No!" Jenny screamed, scrambling to her feet and grabbing Electra's shoulders. "Leccy, tell me you didn't do it." she pleaded, searching her daughter's eyes.  
  
"I didn't, Mama, I swear..."  
  
Munkustrap cut her off. "Then who did?" Electra stared back and forth between the Jellicles forming a circle around her, with only her mother and father remaining as comfort.   
  
"I....I don't know....I was asleep, I swear...."  
  
"Take her away."  
  



	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Um...this part is particularly gruesome. And it's short. And all of it is highly unrealistic, but that's a part of fanfiction, no? Special thanks to Noodle-rah for reviewing the first parts of this.  
  
  
  
Young Electra was locked away in a rusty cat carrier, much to the dismay of her parents and her best friend, Etcetera. One week passed, then another, and there was still no sign of any more foul play. Things weren't looking good for the young tortoiseshell. Desperate, she managed to break out of her cage one day......and was caught by the very tabby who put her there in the first place.  
  
"Where do you think you're going?" Munkustrap demanded angrily, holding her by the arm. Electra trembled.  
  
"I....I had to get out of there, Munk....you don't know what it's like to be caged up like that...."  
  
The tom's face softened, and he sighed, releasing his hold on the kitten. "I'm sorry. You know, I didn't_ really _want you locked up....but all the evidence points to you...."  
  
"I didn't do it, I swear! I loved Jemima...she was my little sister...." Electra choked out, wiping her eyes with the back of her paw. Munkustrap started to reply when Alonzo came running up, out of breath.  
  
"Munk.....Old D.....he's....he's dead....poison..." the black and white tom gasped out. Surprise registered on Munkustrap's face, and was soon replaced with fury as he whirled around to face Electra again.   
  
"You killed him. You escaped just so you could get rid of him." he hissed, grabbing her arm again. Without giving her a chance to reply, he began dragging her back to the Junkyard as she screamed in protest.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
A trial was held. Electra was convicted of two murders, and still suspected of the other four deaths. The Jellicles had to lock both Jenny and Skimble up to keep them from getting to their daughter; the kitten was put to death by hanging the morning after her trial.  
  
It was a morning too soon, though, because the events of the following day proved her to be innocent. Bombalurina and Demeter were found dead, both of them poisoned with a fresh batch of the same liquid that had done away with Old Deuteronomy. When Jenny heard this news, she calmly stood in the middle of the train tracks until a train came by, putting her out of her misery. Skimbleshanks did himself in by jumping off the moving train as soon as it came in contact with his mate's body; his skull was crushed under the wheels of the locomotive.  
  
  
  



	7. Chapter 7

A/N: HA! I finally ended it.....I was going to keep it going on longer, but I realized it was getting really drawn out and boring, so this is the end. Oh, and if you do choose to review...tell me who you THOUGHT the killer was going to be. I'm curious. :)  
  
  
  
"Asparagus. Mistoffelees. Victoria. Exotica. Jemima. Old Deuteronomy. Electra. Bombalurina. Demeter. Jennyanydots. Skimbleshanks."  
  
Munkustrap spoke calmly, the waver in his voice when he read off Demeter's name barely noticeable. Eleven Jellicles, dead. It had been less than a month ago that the crushed body of Asparagus had been found, that many Jellicles had just called that death a freak accident. Now, no one dared to be a skeptic.  
  
"We know almost for certain that four of them were attacked in some form." the gray tabby continued, pacing slowly before the group gathered before him. "Three were poisoned. At least two committed suicide; no one is sure whether Victoria took her own life or was murdered. As for Electra....well, that was a mistake, but there's nothing to be done about it now. I apologize to everyone for that."   
  
All eyes couldn't help but glance towards young Etcetera, sitting beside her mother. Both of the calico queens had become silent and emotionless, not a tear shed between them. The lack of mourning on their part seemed more pitiful and heartbreaking than they would have appeared if they had chose to cry.   
  
Complete silence filled the Junkyard as Munkustrap stopped pacing and looked around at the Jellicles, noting each individual face in turn. Finally, he spoke.   
  
"Someone here is a murderer."  
  
Silence reigned once more. One cat's heart began to pound a little harder, and she wished that someone would react, scream, cry, be shocked....anything to fill the silence, or someone would surely hear her telltale heart. Outwardly, she remained neutral. By the time anyone figured it out, they would all be taken care of.....and she could move on to another tribe. She would find one more place to fulfill her lust for murder. Tonight....it had to be done tonight. Yes......tonight would be perfect.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
It was simple enough to slip a sleeping potion into the small pool that most of the tribe used as a watering hole. Not poison....oh, no, she didn't want them to die that easily. As they slept, she carefully hooked each Jellicle up to a wire, and those wires into one electrical current, smirking to herself. All that time spent with Macavity had learnt her a few tricks she could use, after all. Too bad she would have to wait for some other time to do him in.  
  
She stood by the switch, waiting, waiting to see the first Jellicle stir, for that would mean that the potion was about to wear off. She wanted them all to be awake to feel this. After all, didn't they deserve one last thrill before death?   
  
Munkustrap was the first one to awaken, and he was also the one she was standing nearest. Groggily, he looked up at her, and his eyes widened in shock as he saw her holding the power switch. He opened his mouth to say something, but before he could utter one syllable, the murderess let out an earsplitting scream that woke the entire Yard.  
  
And she threw the switch. One blinding flash of light, then darkness once more and forever.  
  
She stood there for a moment, surveying her handiwork. With a final, deep chuckle, Cassandra slunk away from the Junkyard.   
  



End file.
